The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-04-09


travel in boats; but it was long and weari-
some journey. Captain Winstanley had
not completely recovered from the effects
Of his wound and the ceaseless eYcitements
| and hardships OF the campaign had weak
ened him. BY the time they reached the
railway line which runs from Baroda to
| Bombay-the real difficulties Of the journey
| were over then-the Indian fever had him
in its grasp, and he was compelled to give
ND his command to the officer next him In
rank.
This was the first convoy Of wounded
that had come down, and the excitement In
the stations through which it passed was
intense. AIr. Stanhope, who, with several
other gentlemen, had travelled as far as
Surah to see if they could be Of any use,
ley's illness, and Percy being then uncon-
scious) took him in charge, and telegraphed
TO his wife to be ready to receive wounded
officer in the afternoon Of that day.
We now return to the quiet and roomy
bungalow, where good Mrs. Stanhope, who
had been exhausting herself in her effort to
think of everything that could be pleasant
or necessary for an invalid, was snatching
q few minutes rest, and where the young
English girl, who had SO strangely taken
refuge with her, was expecting, with little
natural excitemeet, the arrival Of one of
the heroes Of the war.
"Most likely they will carry him here
first" she said to herself, looking round on
the comfortable sitting room, with its cool
mating and light windows, and light cane
lounging chairs and touches.
This room opened on to the veranda,
and the yeranda was only separated by u
curtain from the avenue that led up to the
house.
Lefty set everything in order, drew the
most comfortable OF the touches intoa cool
corner, and ordered up cooling drinks,
pail of ice, and light little meal, which
she arranged herself, so that it might look
as tempting as possible, on table close by
the couch.
Her thoughts were with her own young
soldier as she moved about the room. She
called him hers, though most likely, by this
time, he belonged to another. For Lefty had
recovered from the burning sense of
humiliation that had weighed her almost to
the ground when she ran away nom her
friends. She had been saved from what
Lady Glenaveril had called "a serious mis-
take, and she was not ashamed now of
having loved the man who, IN her young
eyes, was worthier than any other she had
ever seen of a womans devotion. She Lad
because il was natural. There was no
shame, no wrong in that. If she had i'm
agined, for one moment, that he loved her
well. our little Lefty had said to herself,
with a sigh, that perhaps was natural too.
For this she thanked God that her fancy
had not BETRAYED her into doing anything
that could have narrowed his life.
Lefty was not unhappy in those days.
From the vely first she had set herself to
| live her suffering down. 1What am I?'
| she had said 10 herself, ito make the lives
| of others miserable, because l am not
| given the very best that nature offers to her
children? l will not. With the help of
my God, will love the good things He
has given me, and help others to love
them too So she schooled her
self to patience, and the fruit of
her effort could he-seen in the calm
serenity of her gentle face, and the quiet
cheerfulness Of her manner.
She had scarcely finished har prepara-
| tons when she heard the sound of wheels
in the avenue. Presently the curtain was
set aside, and Mr.. Stanhope, who looked
| pale and haggard, came in. Where is my
| wife? They are Just bringing him in" he
said.
| Mrs. Stanhope was very tired this after
noon. She is resting" said Lefty. "Can
l not take her placer"
| There does not seem anything much to
do. He is very bad-nearly off, l am
afraid. Try and get him to take some
thing, while go back and hurry up the
doctor"
| While Mr.. Stanhope spoke, two of the
servants were half leading, half carrying
the invalid in. "On this sofa," said Lefty.
She was not frightened, for she had lately
nursed Mrs. Stanhope through an attack Of
fever, but she was awed. To come SO far
on his way home, and then to fall How
nitiful it was! So Far she had not looked
| into his face. She was sending FOR ice
| bags to apply to his head, and was pouring
out the mixture that had been Of most use
to Mrs. Stanhope. When these were ready
she turned to the dark corner Of the room
where he was lying.
| Mr.. Starhope had gone out. There were
| only two dark servants in the room, and
| they were busy carrying out her directions.
| She saw him clearly and cry broke from
her lips. He had been lying like one in a
troubled sleep. At the sound his eyelids
lifted and he looked at her. Strange, Sc
strange! there was no surprise in his face.
They might have parted the day before.
$50 it is you, Lefty" he said.
Eyes, dear, it is l." She sank on her
| knees, for she could not stand, and tried to
make Linn drink from the glass she had
mixed for him.
To her awe and distress he seemed to be
looking, not at her, but beyond her.
Il had been dreaming of you, my dar-
ling" he said, in low voice; Il thought
you would come to me- if vou could
Look at me, look at me, Percy" she
said; Il am here, close beside you"
You are floating above me darling.
hear your voice. Oh! it has been dreary,
dreary without you. But l think / am
coming to you, Lefty"
By this time the doctor and Mr.. Stanhope
were IN the room, and Lefty, trembling and
weeping, withdrew into the background.
She heard them say that his mind was
| wandering, and then some remedy was
given him and he was carried into the bed
room that had been prepared for him, and
Lefty, whose heart was beating wildly, was
left alone to try and realize what it was
that had happened.
Percy here! Percy speaking to her
calling her-what was it that he had called
her? Her heart spoke the words that her
lips refused to utter. Would he have
spoken SO, even in the delirium of fever,
if he had not been thinking of her, longing
| for her? And if SO, then-her heart al
most stood still, and every particle Of color
left her face-if SO, she had been mistaken,
mistaken from the beginning. For the first
time since her troubles began, Lefty lost
her self control. She covered her face
with her hands, and burst into passion of
| tears.
A touch on her shoulder aroused her, and
she jumped up. rs anything wanted?T
| she faltered-"I-I-am all right"
TO BE CONTINUED